Two weeks is the ideal amount of time for a first trip to Morocco. In 14 days you can see the imperial cities of Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Marrakech, spend two nights in the Sahara at Merzouga, walk the blue lanes of Chefchaouen and finish on the Atlantic coast in Essaouira, without rushing. Below is the route we follow on our 15-day private Morocco tour as a Moroccan local operator, with drive times, where to sleep and what each day really looks like.
2 weeks in Morocco at a glance
The route runs one way, from Casablanca in the north-west to Marrakech in the south, so you fly into Casablanca and home from Marrakech. Most US flights land in Casablanca, which makes this direction the easiest.
| Day | Route | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Casablanca, transfer to Rabat | Rabat |
| 2 | Rabat sightseeing, drive to Chefchaouen | Chefchaouen |
| 3 | Chefchaouen | Chefchaouen |
| 4 | Chefchaouen to Fez via Meknes | Fez |
| 5 | Fez medina, full day | Fez |
| 6 | Fez to Merzouga (Sahara) | Desert camp |
| 7 | Full day in the Sahara | Desert camp |
| 8 | Sahara to Ouarzazate | Ouarzazate |
| 9 | Aït Benhaddou, drive to Essaouira | Essaouira |
| 10 | Essaouira | Essaouira |
| 11 | Essaouira to the Agafay Desert | Agafay camp |
| 12 | Agafay to Marrakech | Marrakech |
| 13 | Marrakech sightseeing and cooking class | Marrakech |
| 14 | Free day or High Atlas day trip | Marrakech |
| 15 | Fly home from Marrakech |
That is 14 nights on the ground. If your two weeks include the flights, look at the 14-day and 10-day options further down.
Days 1–3: Rabat and Chefchaouen
Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca and transfer to Rabat
Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, and you drive about an hour to Rabat, Morocco’s capital. We start here rather than in Casablanca because Rabat is calm, clean and easy on a jet-lagged first evening. If you have energy, take a short walk through its medina, which is far quieter than those of Fez or Marrakech, before a welcome dinner. If you are flying into Rabat itself, our 10-day Morocco tour from Rabat starts and ends at that airport.
Day 2: Rabat sightseeing, then north to Chefchaouen
In the morning you see the Hassan Tower, the unfinished minaret of a 12th-century mosque, and the Mohammed V Mausoleum beside it. Then you walk the Kasbah of the Udayas, a whitewashed fortress quarter with blue-painted lanes and views over the Atlantic. In the afternoon the road climbs about four hours into the green Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen.
Day 3: A full day in Chefchaouen, the Blue City
Chefchaouen is a town to explore slowly, so we give it a full day with no driving. A local guide walks you through its blue alleys and stairways to Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the main square beside the old kasbah. In the late afternoon, walk up to the Spanish Mosque for the best view over the town. The climb takes about 30 minutes on an uneven path, so wear proper shoes. Our guide to Chefchaouen and northern Morocco has more on the town. Chefchaouen is also a stop on our Wonders of Morocco tour, which starts in Tangier.
Days 4–5: Meknes and Fez
Day 4: Chefchaouen to Fez via Meknes
On the way south you stop in Meknes, the imperial city most travelers skip. You see Bab Mansour, often called the most beautiful gate in Morocco, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Lunch is at a farm in the Meknes countryside, then you continue to Fez and check into your riad. Total driving is about four hours with stops.
Day 5: A guided day in the Fez medina
Fez el-Bali is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world, and you need a guide here. You begin at the brass doors of the Royal Palace and the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, then visit a workshop where Fez’s blue pottery is still painted by hand. In the afternoon you go deeper into the souks, past Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 and considered the oldest continually operating university in the world, to the Chouara Tanneries, where leather is still dyed in open stone vats. If the imperial cities interest you most, our Imperial Cities tour gives more time to Fez, Rabat, Tangier and Marrakech.
Plan this trip
Morocco's Grand Journey
A private 15-day journey through Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara, Essaouira, Agafay and Marrakech, tailored to your dates and pace.
View the Tour Plan on WhatsApp Email UsDays 6–8: The Sahara Desert
Day 6: Fez to Merzouga across the Middle Atlas
This is the longest drive of the trip, about 8 to 9 hours with stops, and also one of the most varied. You stop in Ifrane, the alpine-style town known as Morocco’s Little Switzerland, and in the Azrou cedar forest, where wild Barbary macaques come down to the roadside. Then the forest gives way to high plateaus, palm valleys and finally the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi. You arrive in the late afternoon and ride a camel into the dunes to your desert camp, with dinner and Berber music under the stars.
Day 7: A full day in the desert
The second night is what makes the Sahara worth the drive. With no long road ahead, you visit a nomad family, listen to Gnawa music, a tradition of drumming and chanting with roots in sub-Saharan Africa, and have lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon you return to camp by 4×4, with free time to climb the dunes for sunset. A single night means arriving at sunset and leaving at sunrise, so the second night is what lets you actually enjoy the desert. Starting in Marrakech instead? Our 9-day Marrakech desert tour is a round trip to the same dunes.
Day 8: The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate
You leave the dunes and head west along the southern side of the High Atlas, through palm groves, river valleys and villages of clay-built kasbahs, stopping for photos along the way. You reach Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Sahara, in the evening. The drive takes about 6 to 7 hours with stops.
Days 9–11: Aït Benhaddou, Essaouira and the Agafay Desert
Day 9: Aït Benhaddou and over the High Atlas to the coast
Start the morning at Aït Benhaddou, the fortified clay ksar on the old caravan route and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has appeared in many films and series. Walk up through its lanes for the view over the valley, then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass and continue across the plains to Essaouira. It is a long travel day, about 6 to 7 hours, broken up by stops.
Day 10: Essaouira
After a week of medinas and desert, Essaouira’s sea breeze feels like a holiday inside the holiday. A guide shows you the Skala de la Kasbah, the old sea ramparts lined with cannons, and the workshops where artisans carve thuya, a fragrant local wood. The afternoon is free for the harbor and its blue fishing boats, the beach or the art galleries.
Day 11: Essaouira to the Agafay Desert
After a slow morning by the sea, you drive about 3.5 hours to the Agafay Desert, a stony landscape of low hills about 45 minutes from Marrakech, with the Atlas Mountains on the horizon. You spend the night in a luxury camp with a pool, a sunset view and dinner with entertainment. It is a lovely contrast with the Sahara dunes. Traveling with children? Our 7-day family tour with Essaouira and Agafay combines both in a shorter week.
Days 12–15: Marrakech
Day 12: Into the Red City
A short drive brings you into Marrakech, where your guide gives you an orientation walk through the medina and Jemaa el-Fnaa Square. In the evening the square fills with food stalls, musicians and storytellers, and an optional food tasting tour is the best way to try it.
Day 13: Marrakech sightseeing and a cooking class
You visit the 14th-century Ben Youssef Madrasa, the 19th-century Bahia Palace and the 77-metre Koutoubia minaret, then walk the souks. In the afternoon you cook your own dinner with a local chef, learning tagine, couscous and Moroccan salads. Food lovers can go further on our Morocco food tour, with a souk food tour in Fez and seafood at the Essaouira port.
Day 14: Your choice
Spend your last full day as you like. Option A is a free day in the souks, an afternoon hammam and spa, and a farewell dinner. Option B is a guided hike in the Imlil Valley in the High Atlas Mountains, about 1.5 hours away, back in time for the farewell dinner.
Day 15: Departure
A private transfer takes you to Marrakech Menara Airport for your flight home.
This is the route of our 15-day private Morocco tour, with the riads, camps, guides and driver arranged for you.
Other ways to spend 2 weeks in Morocco
The route above suits most first-time visitors, but it is not the only good one.
- Add Tangier and finish in Casablanca. If you want the far north and a round trip from one airport, our 14-day Morocco tour starts and ends in Casablanca and adds two nights in Tangier.
- Go further, with 16 days. The 16-day Morocco Grand Tour covers Tangier, Asilah, Volubilis, the Sahara, Marrakech and two nights in Essaouira.
- Only have 10 days? See our 10 days in Morocco itinerary guide, or our 10-day Classic Morocco Tour, which covers Rabat, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, the Dades Valley and Marrakech.
Practical tips for 2 weeks in Morocco
Best time to go
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable months for this route. Summer is very hot in Fez, Marrakech and the Sahara, and winter nights in the desert and the Atlas can drop close to freezing, though the days are often sunny.
How you get around
Trains only connect the northern cities, so the Sahara, Aït Benhaddou and Agafay need a car. Most travelers use a private driver, which also means your luggage stays in one vehicle for the whole trip and you can stop wherever you like for photos.
Flights from the US
Book an open-jaw ticket: into Casablanca (CMN) and out of Marrakech (RAK). This saves you a full day of backtracking. US citizens can currently visit Morocco visa-free for up to 90 days, but check the latest rules before you book.
What to pack
Bring comfortable walking shoes for the medinas, a warm layer for desert nights in any season, and clothing that covers shoulders and knees for the cities. A small overnight bag is useful for the desert camp, so your main suitcase can stay in the vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
Is 2 weeks enough for Morocco?
Yes. Two weeks is enough to see the main imperial cities, the Sahara, the Blue City and the coast at a comfortable pace, with at least two nights in most places, as on our 2-week Morocco tour.
Should I start in Casablanca or Marrakech?
Either works, but starting in Casablanca and ending in Marrakech means you finish with the most relaxed part of the trip.
How long is the drive from Fez to the Sahara?
About 8 to 9 hours with stops in Ifrane, the cedar forest and for lunch. It is the longest day of the trip, which is why we plan two nights in the desert afterward.
Can this itinerary be changed?
Yes. As a private tour, you can add nights, change the accommodation level, skip a region or start from another airport. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust it.
Want to compare routes first? Browse all our private Morocco tours.
Plan this trip
Morocco's Grand Journey
A private 15-day journey through Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara, Essaouira, Agafay and Marrakech, tailored to your dates and pace.
View the Tour Plan on WhatsApp Email Us